Valance



5. F'. MAYER May 4, 1954 VALANCE Filed July 9, 1948 Patented May 4, 1954 orrice VALANCE Siegfried F. Mayer,

May-Sloan, of Pennsylvania Lock Haven, Pa., assignor to End, Mill Hall, Pa, a

corporation Application July 9, 1948, Serial No. 37,832

Claims.

The present invention relates to valances of the slat type such as are employed in store and show windows, and aims generally to improve the construction of such valances and particuiarly the mounting brackets therefor.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of an attractive slatted valance adaptable for mounting in show windows and in which the slats are removably supported in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position so as to effect better distribution of light upon merchandise in a window opening rearwardly of the valance.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel valance slat and supporting bracket therefor in which a very small portion of the supporting bracket is exposed to view from the front of the valance.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a valance having a removable imperforate one-piece slat adapted to be removably secured to a supporting bracket.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved construction of slatsupporting bracket for valances and the like.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved valance mounted in a window opening;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view as taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the upper portion of a valance slat supporting bracket;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational side view of a portion of a bracket illustrating the mounting of a slat thereon;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view as taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the valance is advantageously of the type having slats removably supported upon supporting brackets hung in a window opening W which may include the usual upper frames side frame 2 and window or like pane 3.

The slat-supporting brackets iii are adapted to removably support in downwardly and rearwardly inclined position a plurality of slats l l preferably formed of elongated strips of imperiorate sheet material sufficiently thin so as to be flexible transversely as Well as longitudinally. Advantageously the slats may be formed of elongated metal strips of approximately 0.010 inch thickness having parallel side edges and being slightly convexed transversely. Such thin sheet material, whether metal or plastic, is readily flexible transversely under pressure applied to opposite edges, yet is sufficiently rigid to retain its normal shape when mounted on the brackets it.

The supporting brackets 10 preferably comprise a strip or like body I2 of sheet material, for example sheet metal, plastic or the like, having a plurality of sets of tongues struck therefrom providing slat-supporting and gripping means for engaging opposite side edges of the slats. Preferably each set of tongues provides for threepoint engagement with the slat and may comprise a pair of spaced lower tongues 13 and an intermediate longer tongue 14 extended upwardly and forwardly of the bracket body 12 and provided with a down-turned end adapted to overlie an upper edge of a slat as is illustrated in the drawings.

The lower supporting tongues l3 are advantageously formed by stamping short tabs from the body [2 of the bracket It and then binding the tabs outwardly therefrom so as to form a substantially V-shaped notch between the tab and bracket body [2. The tongues is are preferably disposed adjacent opposite marginal side edges of the bracket body l2 and provide laterally spaced slat-supporting means for the bottom edges of the transverse slats.

The intermediate tongue M is formed as a relatively long arm l5 cut from the body ii of the bracket If! and bent forwardly a proper distance so that its downwardly hooked end IE will be opposed to the lower tongues l3 at a desired inclination thereto, for example from 20 to 25 degrees with reference to the body I2 of the bracket. The lower end of the tongue arm i5 of each set is joined to the body of the bracket l9 below the lower tongues 13 of the adjacent superposed set, so that the adjoining sets of tongues are overlapping, with the upper tongue of a lower set terminating in a plane above the lower tongue of a superposed set.

The slat edge gripping portions of the upper and lower tongues l3 and M of each set are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the normal width of the slightly convexed slot I l, as is illustrated in Fig. 5. This spacing may be maintained by bending the arm l5 outwardly from the body I2 of the bracket iii. The slat H may be readily inserted in and removed from the sets of tongues l3-l4 by flexing the slat transversely to greater convexity. When engaged with the tongues, each slat is supported on each bracket by a three-point tensioned engagement on its opposite side edges.

The brackets l0 advantageously are supported by hinged mountings 20, which preferably may comprise standard type hinges having two hinge leaves 2| pivotally connected by a hinge pin 22, the leaves 2| being apertured at 23, as is customary for the reception of attaching screws 24 by means of which one leaf may be connected to the upper frame I of the window or like opening. The bracket It] may be secured to the frame by simply extending the lower tongues l3 adjacent the upper end of the body l2, through the apertures 23 of the depending hinge leaf 2! and clenching the tongues 13 over the forward face of the hinge leaf. This construction provides an exceedingly simple and inexpensive construction which may be quickly assembled and which will permit the valance to be swung rearwardly of the pane 3 to permit cleaning thereof.

From the above description it will be apparent that the invention provides an extremely simple and attractive valance in which the horizontally disposed slats are removably supported on brackets which are entirely concealed from view iron the front or windowpane side of the opening. The sets of slat-gripping tongues of the brackets are so disposed that the upper edge of a lower slat is disposed above the plane of the lower edge of a superposed slat so that only the ends of the upper slat-supporting tongues are exposed to view from the front side of the valance. As Will be apparent, the slats H are supported in downwardly and rearwardly inclined spaced apart relation on the front face of the brackets so as to provide a better distribution of light from the windowpane side of the opening to merchandise or like objects that may be displayed below and rearwardly of the valance.

The provision of a valance composed of thin transversely flexible slats engaged by opposed slat edge supporting means is of distinct advantage in that it permits of the ready removal and replacement of the slits from the supporting brackets for cleaning or changeable decorative purposes.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of the invention, I do not intend to be limited thereby as the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valance for use in window and like openings comprising a plurality of valance-supporting brackets, a plurality of sets of tongues extending outwardly from one side of each of said brackets along a substantial portion of the length thereof, each of said sets of tongues including an upper slat-edge engaging tongue and a separate lower slat-edge engaging tongue adapted to removably engage and support a slat, the upper tongue of each set being disposed laterally outward from its bracket to a greater extent than the lower tongue thereof whereby a slat may be supported at an angle to the bracket, and a plurality of horizontally disposed slats supported by said tongues.

2. A valance comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed slats, a plurality of vertically disposed supporting brackets for said slats, a series of vertically spaced tongues extending outwardly from said brackets and having portions thereon for removably engaging and supporting the lower edges of said slats, and a second series of vertically spaced tongues extending outwardly from said brackets and having portions thereon for removably engaging and supporting the upper edges of said slats, the slat edge engaging portions of said second series of tongues being in outwardly and vertically spaced relation to the slat edge engaging portions of said first series of tongues whereby said slats are removably supported in downwardly and rearwardly inclined positions.

3. A valance as set forth in claim 2 in which each tongue of the second series extends to a horizontal plane substantially above the next higher adjacent tongue of the first series whereby only the upper edges of a plurality of superposed slats are visible from a side thereof opposite said brackets.

4. A valance as set forth in claim 2 including a mounting member hingedly connected to the upper end of each of said brackets.

5. A valance as set forth in claim 2 in which the tongues of each series are struck from the material of the brackets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,871,035 Burns Aug. 9, 1932 2,115,935 Stinson May 3, 1938 2,133,113 Pratt Oct. 11, 1938 2,285,033 Judels et a1. June 2, 1942 2,485,263 Digby Oct. 18, 1949 2,534,642 Vogel Dec. 19, 1950 

